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Code of Ethics
Premise
The Firm and all its professionals are convinced that the spirit of participation, a collaborative culture and respect for shared ethical values are foundational to our company. These values must permeate the working environment to guarantee a stimulating atmosphere, suitable for new professionals who are not only competent and professional, but also innovative. These ensures clients and all those who interact with Studio Carmini Avvocati Associati, receive the best assistance and relationships, aiming to achieve the set objectives, with the highest degree of satisfaction. In full and rigorous compliance with current regulations, the Firm voluntarily adopt this Code of Ethics, which supplements the legal system’s rules. Carmini Avvocati Associati, considering respect for ethics in business management fundamentally important, intends to guide its activities, both internal and external, in compliance with the principles and rules contained in this Code.
TITLE I – General Principles
1 Scope of application This Code expresses and defines the guiding values and ethical-behavioural principles, which each member of the Firm must inspire in their work. The adoption of these principles is essential to ensure professional and personal conduct in line with the highest ethical and deontological standards. The Code of Ethics applies to lawyers, trainee lawyers, secretarial staff and anyone on duty or acting in the name of Studio Carmini Avvocati Associati (hereinafter, the Recipients and, with reference only to lawyers and trainee lawyers, the Professionals). All Recipients, without distinction or exception, are obliged to scrupulously observe the principles contained in this Code of Ethics, in the performance of their duties and responsibilities. This Code of Ethics contains non-legal rules and is aimed at the moral and professional sensibilities of individuals. All Recipients have the moral responsibility to disseminate, particularly, but not only, in the workplace, the principles and guiding values contained in this Code of Ethics. 3 Goals and values The Firm strongly believes that respect for the person is central to its attention. Only through constant dialogue, focusing on the needs and requirements of each individual, can the best performance and profitable, satisfying relationships be established. The Firm, also, believes that client attention, at every contact stage, requires constant dialogue, to welcome, understand and analyse their real, actual needs, objectives and results. This process helps define the tools and methods to pursue these goals. Studio Carmini Avvocati Associati believes the best legal assistance comes building a relationship with the client based on continuous proactive dialogue and mutual trust. Furthermore, the Firm's services must be accessible without discrimination. The Firm undertakes to: i) not differentiate in its treatment of clients based nationality, religion, ethnicity, social class or gender; ii) use a pricing policy consistent with the quality of the service offered in observance of the legal and deontological rules of tariffs in force. The Firm promotes social inclusion, volunteering and associations, encouraging voluntary activities by Professionals to support disadvantaged individuals and Third Sector Entities, including through projects organized by Professional Bodies (i.e. free counselling counters by the Bar Association). Aware of the importance of training, study and dissemination in professional activity, the Firm encourages participation in academic and training activities, supporting Professionals who collaborate with training institutions, universities, publishing houses and any other entities that may enrich the Professionals and third parties. 4 General Principles Recipients of the Code must observe the highest standards of ethical conduct. They must operate with honesty, decorum, commitment, professional rigor, fairness, transparency and loyalty. Compliance with the rules of fairness, honesty, morality, seriousness, diligence, integrity and respect for the Constitution and current legislation, especially the Professional Law and the Forensic Code of Ethics, is a continuous commitment for all Professionals. In particular, the Firm:
TITLE II - PRINCIPLES OF CONDUCT IN RELATIONS WITH CLIENTS
5 Listening, dialogue and transparency Client attention is fundamental for in the Firm’s development and growth. Professionals must base all client communication on constant dialogue, focusing on listening to the client’s needs, accurately identifying objectives and offering clear and transparent communication, to ensure clients fully understand the service’s characteristics and value. 6 Conflict of interest In full compliance with the Forensic Code of Ethics and, particularly of Article 24, which states the lawyer must refrain from providing professional activity when this may lead to a conflict with the interests of the client and the client or interfere with the performance of another assignment, even non-professional, the Firm guarantees compliance with rules preventing any conflicts of interest. A conflict of interest also exists if: (i) fulfilling of a new mandate breaches another client’s confidentiality; (ii) knowledge of one client’s affairs unfairly favours another client, and (iii) a previous mandate limits the lawyers independence in a new assignment. Recipients must refrain from personally benefiting from business opportunities they become aware of through their services. 7 Duty of Care Recipients must act with diligence and zeal, scrupulous care and rigorous commitment, preserving and increasing their knowledge and directing their conduct to pursue Firm’s objectives and values. 8 Duty of Honesty Recipients operate according with correctness, honesty and loyalty, pursuing conduct inspired by probity and moral rectitude. They must avoid situations where they might derive personal benefits, advantages or conveniences. They are forbidden from accepting gifts or benefits from subjects, for any reason and in any way interested in the activity of the Firm. They are also prohibited from promising or paying to third parties sums of money, goods in kind or benefits for the sole purpose of promoting or favouring the activity of the Firm. Small gifts and courtesies of modest commercial value shall be deemed to be excluded from the scope of this Article. 9 Duty of Transparency In their relations with clients, Professionals must ensure clients understand i) the economic offer, ii) the service covered by the assignment, iii) the meaning, scope, consequences, including any risks, which can be predicted at the moment, of each practice, iv) the timing of the assignment, as well as v) the objectives set and the prospects for success. Communications must be clear, intelligible and transparent. Professionals undertake must meet agreed deadlines and, if impossible, for organisational or personal reasons, they shall promptly notify the client, agreeing on a new deadline. 10 Duty of Impartiality Recipients must refrain from discriminatory behaviour based on age, gender, sexual orientation, health, race, ethnicity, social origin, political opinions or religious beliefs. 11 Duty of Decorum Recipients must maintain decorum, in their conduct, especially on social networks, publications and in public statements, in line with their professional role. 12 Duty of Confidentiality Recipients must maintain the strictest confidentiality of all acts, documents and information, related to clients or the Firm. They must keep confidential the Firm’s organization, projects, clients, ideas, debates and know-how, even if the information no longer current.
TITLE III – PRINCIPLES OF CONDUCT IN PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS IN THE FIRM
13 Duty of Education, Solidarity and Collaboration Recipients must behave politely with all contacts, fostering a relaxed and collaborative work environment based on mutual respect. The Firm assumes solidarity as a founding value of cohesion among all those who form it, who, in carrying out their work, encourage and prefer listening to each other, supporting each other, sharing knowledge, experience and resources, in order to achieve the best common goals. 14 Prohibition of Discrimination The Firm rejects discrimination, abuse and favouritism based on age, gender, sexual orientation, health, race, ethnicity, social origin, political opinions or religious beliefs. In recruitment and daily tasks, the Firm guarantees equal opportunities for personal and professional growth, training courses and refresher initiatives, as well as the assignment of roles. 15 Respect for the person and the family The Firm, assuming the centrality of the human person, values individuality and creativity of each person in their work, fostering innovation and growth. The Firm promotes organizational policies that balance personal and professional life, including flexible work. The Firm supports pregnancy, motherhood and parental care, recognizing the fundamental role of family responsibilities. 16 Duties of Professionals and Collaborators Recipients must: in the event of personal problems, discontent, inconvenience of any kind, promptly communicate, in the manner deemed most appropriate by each with reference to the specific case, so that it is possible to seek, in a spirit of full collaboration, one or more solutions that can remedy such situations, making them compatible with the performance of the Firm's activities and compliance with the relevant rules of conduct.
TITLE IV – PRINCIPLES RELATING TO THE ENVIRONMENT
17 Environmental policy The Firm recognizes environmental protection as a core value and commits to measures and conduct that reduce environmental impact. Recipients are encouraged to minimize damage to ecosystems, avoid waste, use of energy or resources efficiently, minimize environmental impact, promote recycling and raise environmental awareness, where possible, also among their interlocutors on the same issues. Recipients are also encouraged to use eco-friendly transport, as well as to reduce, where possible, physical travel, promoting the use of technology, for example, through the use of remote meetings and hearings, as well as agile working methods, if and insofar as compatible with the need not to compromise the quality of services. In order to reduce plastic consumption, the Firm purchases recyclable and/or compostable materials and uses water purifiers, to eliminate disposable containers, taking the utmost care in the management and sorting of waste, raising awareness, where possible, also among its interlocutors on these issues. Furthermore, the Firm, aware that a serious environmental culture requires consideration for the entire supply chain, is committed to guiding the choice of its suppliers also in relation to the social and environmental sustainability pursued by them.
TITLE V – PRINCIPLES RELATING TO THE USE OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES
18 New technologies and artificial intelligence The Firm acknowledges technological revolution and adopts new technologies, to improve and speed up professional activities, potentially reducing client costs. However, Professionals must use technological tools diligently, verifying the reliability of results and the authenticity and correctness of data and sources cited, also taking care to avoid the dissemination of personal data and confidential information, of which they have become aware in the course of their work activities.
TITLE VI – CONTROL AND VIOLATIONS
19 Control and Reporting Compliance with this Code of Ethics is a collective responsibility of all Recipients, respecting the hierarchy of roles. The Firm, recognising the full independence of the Professionals, delegates to each of them the verification and compliance with the Code of Ethics, fully enhancing the principles of accountability and self-responsibility, which are believed to permeate the legal role and the freelance profession.
TITLE VII – REVISION AND UPDATING OF THE CODE OF ETHICS
20 Update of the Code of Ethics This Code of Ethics was drawn up on 22.05.2024, is disseminated and shared among all Recipients, published on the Firm's website, so that third parties can also have evidence of it, and will be subject to periodic review and update.